This invention relates to the preparation of natural tissue for implantation, and more particularly, to the treatment of fixed tissue to inhibit mineralization, particularly calcification, upon implantation.
Animal tissues have in recent years found wide acceptance in the preparation of various prosthetic devices for use in humans. Most notable of these is the use of porcine heart valves to replace defective mitral, tricuspid and aortic valves in humans. Also of interest is the preparation of arteries, veins and human umbilical cords for use as arterial grafts and other tubular duct replacement in humans.
Porcine heart valves have been in use for several years with generally good results. The preparation of such valves for implantation is described in the literature and in the patent art as, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,966,401 and 4,050,893. Briefly, the valve is excised from the donor heart, trimmed and cleaned, and fixed by immersion in a tanning fluid such as a 0.2% glutaraldehyde solution. After several hours of treatment, the fixed valve is removed from the glutaraldehyde, rinsed, mounted on a stent, and stored in a glutaraldehyde solution until ready for use.
One problem which has been associated with the porcine heart valve in some individuals is calcification of the valve leaflets after an extended period of time resulting in reduced flexibility and eventual loss of efficiency in the operation of the valve. Significant calcification is readily visible in an X-ray of the affected valve.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method to inhibit mineralization, and particularly calcification, of fixed natural tissue upon implantation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for treatment of fixed porcine heart valve tissue to inhibit mineralization when used as a prosthetic valve replacement in humans.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and claims.
As used herein, the term "fixed" or "fixed tissue" refers to tissue which has been treated with a tanning solution such as 4% formaldehyde or 0.2% glutaraldehyde for a period of time and under conditions conventionally used to prepare natural tissue for implantation. The tanning process does not form any part of the present invention.